Side wall punch core orienter gun perforator type



Feb. 17, 1959 M. L. NATLAND SIDE WALL PUNCH CORE ORIENTER GUN PERFORATOR TYPE Filed Dec. 5, 1956 INVENTOR. Max 45 A. Mwzmvo SIDE WALL ,PUNCH CORE ORIENTER GUN PERFORATQRTYPE Manley L. Natland, Rolling Hills, Calif.

Application December 3, 1956, Serial No. 625,842

4 Claims. (Cl. 255-14) This invention relates to apparatus for taking side wall cores ,from wells and is particularly directed to improve ments. in core-taking apparatus which provides means for orienting the core. v 3

The principal object of this invention is to provide an improved side wall coring tool which is capable of taking a series of cores on a single run of the tool and which provides complete information for orienting each of the cores so taken, such information including as to each core, the azimuth and inclination of the bore hole at the. elevation where the core was taken as well as a mark on the core having a known relationship to a plane containing the axis of the core and the center line of the well bore. Another object is to provide a coring tool of this type which incorporates a multiple shot surveying instrument and a multiple shot explosive side wall core taking gun carried on a single body member adapted to be run into a well bore on a wire line, the wire line comprising a multiple conduit cable for operating the surveying instrument and explosive core-taking gun as well as for raising and lowering the apparatus within the well bore. Other and more detailed objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation in idealized form showing a preferred embodiment of my invention. I

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing details of construction of one of the hollow bullets employed in connection with the core-taking gun.

Figure 3 is a perspective view similar to Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view through one of the gun bores.

Referring to the drawings, the body generally designated is suspended from a wire line or cable 11 adapted to be lowered into a well bore 12. Belly springs 13 are provided on the body for maintaining it in central position with respect to the bore 12. The body is separable at 14 to permit installation of a multiple shot electrically operated survey tool generally designated 15. This tool 15 may be of conventional type and capable of producing a record showing both inclination and azimuth of the bore hole at any one of a series of locations.

Also connected to the body 10 is a side wall coring gun 16 which drives hollow bullets 17 laterally into the well formation. Each of these bullets 17 is provided with an open ended core receiving opening 18 encircled by a series of teeth 19 designed to cut into the formation. Each of the hollow bullets 17 has a cylindrical surface 20 interrupted by axially extending ribs 21. The cylindrical surface 20 within one of the gun bores 22 and .the ribs 21 are received within axially extending grooves 23 provided in the bores 22. The purpose of the interengaging ribs and grooves is to prevent rotation of the bullets with respect to the gun bores when the bullets are fired into the formation by explosive means (not shown). The length of the guided bullets is suflicient to permit penetration into the formation before the bullet completely leaves its guided track. Each bullet is provided with one or more flexible cables 24 which have opposite ends and secured to the bullet and to the body of the gun 16. After the bullet has been fired into the formation, these cables'serve to retract the bullet together with the core which is forced into the open ended core barrel 18.

A scribe element 25 is fixed within each core barrel and projects into the path of the core so that the core is marked or scribed with a line as it enters the interior of the bore barrel. I prefer to locate each of these scribe elements 25 at the low side of the core barrel of each hollow bullet.

In operation, the body 10 is lowered into the well bore 12 on the end of the multiple conductor cable or wire line 11. When the body 10 reaches the desired elevation, the survey instrument 15 is electrically actuated to provide a record of the azimuth and inclination of the Well at that point. The contact 'of the belly springs 13 with the wall of the bore hole prevents rotation of the body 10. The gun 16 is then energized electrically to fire the lowermost bullet 17 laterally into the formation, thereby driving a core into the open end of the core barrel on the bullet. A scribe line is formed by the scribe element 25 as the core enters the core barrel. Relative rotary movement between the bullet 17 and the bore 22 is prevented by means of the interengaging ribs 21 in grooves 23.

The body 10 is then raised by means of the wire line 11 to the next position where a core is to be taken. In the course of the upward movement of the body 10, the flexible cables 24 attached to the lowermost bullet 17 pull it out of the formation with its core remaining in the core barrel. The bullet dangles below the gun 16, suspended by the cables 24.

The survey instrument 15 is again electrically ener- I gized to provide a record of the inclination and azimuth of the well hole at the second location. The second lowest bullet 17 is fired from the gun 16 and the core at the new location is driven into the core barrel on the bullet. The process is repeated, raising the body 10 between each shot of the gun 16 until all of the bullets have taken the core.

Since the multiple shot survey instrument 15 provides a record of the azimuth and inclination of the gun 16 at each point in the bore hole where side wall samples are taken, and since rotation of the gun within the well bore is prevented by the belly springs, and since rotation of the hollow bullets with respect to the gun barrels is prevented, the scribe mark on the low side of each core formed by the elements 25 enables the cores to be accurately oriented and thereby provide the desired infor mation relating to the well formations.

Having fully described my invention, it is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the details herein set forth, but my invention is of the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim: 1. In a device for taking cores from the side walls of a well, the combination of a body adapted to be run into the well on a wire line, a survey tool on the body adapted to provide a record of the inclination of the body at a plurality of elevations in the well, a gun on the body having a plurality of laterally facing bores, a hollow bullet in each bore, interengaging means extending axially of said bullets and their'bores to prevent rotation of each bullet in its respective bore, each bullet having a core-receiving barrel and a cutting edge at the forward end of the barrel, a core-marking scribe extending into the barrel, and flexible cable means connecting each bullet to the body.

Patented Feb. .11, 1959 2. Inia device for taking cores from the side walls of a well, the combination of a body adapted to be run into the well on a wire line, a survey tool on the body adapted to provide a record of the inclination of the body ata pluralityof elevations in the well, a gun on the body having a plurality of laterally facing bores each with at least one axial groove, ,a hollow bullet in each bore having'an :axial guide rib projecting into the groove, each bullet having a core-receiving barrel and a cutting edge at the forward end of the barrel, a core-marking scribe extending into the barrel, and flexible cable means connecting each bullet to the body. I

3. In a device for taking cores from the side walls of a Wel-L the combination of a body adapted to be run into the well on a wire line, a survey tool on the body adapted to provide a record of the inclination of the body at a plurality of elevations in the well, a gun on the body having a plurality of laterally facing bores each with a pair of axial grooves, a hollow bullet in each bore having axial guide ribs projecting into the grooves, each bullet having a core-receiving barrel and a cutting edge at the forward end of the barrel, a core-marking scribe extending into the barrel near the forward end thereof, and flexible cable means connecting each bullet to the body.

4. In a device for taking cores from the side Walls of a well, the combination of a body adapted to be run into the well on a Wire line, a survey tool on the body adapted to provide a record of the inclination of the body at a plurality of elevations in the well, a gun on the body having a plurality of laterally facing bores, a hollow bullet 'in'each bore, means including interengaging grooves and guide ribs to 'prevent rotation of the bullets in the bores, each bullet having a core-receiving barrel and a cutting edge at the forward end of the barrel, 2. coremarking scribe extending into the barrel, and flexible cable means connecting each bullet to the body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

